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Switcheroo
The name comes from the fact that the contestant can switch the numbers around on his/her second turn. Gameplay The prices for five prizes (a car and four small prizes) are shown on the board, with the tens digit missing from each. The contestant is presented with number blocks showing the five missing digits, each of which is different. The contestant is asked to fill in the missing digits with the blocks. They are given a 30-second time limit to ensure the game proceeds quickly. Once they have finished or time has expired, the contestant is told how many digits have been correctly placed, but not which ones. If all five prices are correct, the contestant has played the game perfectly and wins all five prizes, although this is rare (the first perfect playing did not occur until 1985 on the syndicated nighttime version). Otherwise, the contestant has the option of quitting and taking whatever prizes have the correct prices showing or make a "Switcheroo" and try to correct any mistakes within another 30-second time limit. The contestant is then told how many prices are correct. After deciding to stay with the initial placement of the blocks or after making the Switcheroo, the correct prices are revealed and the contestant wins those prizes. It is impossible for a contestant to win exactly four of the prizes, as any four prizes being correctly tagged would necessitate the fifth block being with the correct prize. For this reason, the display that shows the number of correct prizes cannot light up the number "4". History * In the fall of 1986, the game board was revamped to accommodate five-digit cars. * Before the fall of 1989 there was no 30-second timer when a contestant was giving an attempt to put all blocks in place. * On April 14, 1995, for no apparent reason, the clock started at 45 seconds instead of 30 as the contestant began to play. As this happened, Bob got confused as she thought had 30 seconds, later saying, "I'll stop her at 15, that's what I'll do!". * On October 2, 2003, the game had its first (and so far, only) instance of a handicapped contestant playing the game (specifically, Tyler van Haetsma, a 2001 graduate of Calvin College); thus, then-Barker's Beauty Claudia Jordan helped place the blocks and, for the first time since April 14, 1995, the time limit was increased to 45 seconds. * On November 11, 2003, a 99-year-old man played the game without a time limit. As such, Bob placed digits into prices at the contestant's request. * On May 25, 2005, the font on the prize descriptions, prices and number blocks changed from Swiss to Dom Casual. * On April 30, 2008, during that night's The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular, Switcheroo was chosen as the Million Dollar Game. The requirement to win the million dollars was to get all five prizes correct on the first attempt. * On one episode in the early 1990s, a contestant lost the car, but when the price was revealed, it was discovered that the numbers in the price of the car was not set up the right way, as the fourth digit in the car was accidentally switched with the third digit, thus making it impossible for the car to be won. On that discovery, Bob awarded the contestant the car. * Beginning on December 31, 2012, the spaces for the missing numbers are lit in light blue. * Switcheroo has had nine perfect wins (all five prizes won), the most recent perfect win happened on April 18, 2007. * On October 15, 2014, during Dream Car Week, a Maserati worth $109,430 was offered, but was not won (the contestant only won the hair dryer, after discovering she had one right on her first try, and decided not to take a second chance). * Also on October 15, 2014, the prop has been slightly updated, and the dollar sign in the price of the car has changed from white to red and the upper blue strips on the sides of the game board are painted white. Trivia * For some unapparent reason, Drew would just give the contestant involved a second chance right then and there no matter how many right without even asking him/her if he/she wants it or not. However, he would implicitly imply that the contestant can choose to bail out. An exception was in one playing in Season 37 when Drew offered a bailout directly. He eventually went back to asking contestants whether or not they can switch or stay. * From September 13, 1993-June 1, 2010, after the car was described, the host tells the contestant that there are other prizes he/she could win and then the small prizes were announced and the prop was revealed afterwards. Since October 5, 2010, the prop is revealed first. * Switcheroo uses the losing horns only when the contestant wins no prizes on a second try, although winnings of small prizes only are technically considered a loss. This game & Race Game have some similarities. # They are both timed pricing games. # You don't have to win all of the prizes. # It'll tell you how much time is left on the clock. # It'll tell you how many you have right. # After placing the element next to each prize, you won't get one number within a range of numbers. Think Music There have been three different pieces of music that have been used in Switcheroo's history. The first cue was a vaudeville-style song reminiscent of the one used at the time for Race Game. On the 1985 syndicated nighttime version, a remix of the theme from Celebrity Charades was used. The current cue, entitled "The Head Clown," has been in use since 1992; in addition, its final measures are heard when switching prices in Switch. Pictures Switcheroo 1.jpg|Here's the old look of Switcheroo with a four-digit format and an absence of a clock. Switcheroo 2.jpg|Here's another from 1996 with a five-digit format. Note that a clock has been added to the board. Switcheroo 3.jpg|Here's a playing of the game with Tyler van Haetsma, a disabled contestant from October 2, 2003. To accommodate him, then-Barker's Beauty Claudia Jordan placed the blocks in for him and he was given 45 seconds to play instead of the usual 30. Switcheroo 4.jpg|Here's a perfect playing from May 25, 2005. switcheroo1.png|Here's Switcheroo with the lighted spaces. vlcsnap-2014-06-01-15h48m39s64.png|A close-up look at the timer. vlcsnap-2014-06-01-15h49m41s178.png|This will indicate how many is right. switcheroo1.jpg|The updated prop with the dollar sign in the price of the car that is now red. YouTube Videos First perfect playing with Tom Kennedy A Win from 1997 (March 19, 1997) Handicapped Contestant plays Switcheroo (October 2, 2003) 99 Year Old Contestant Plays Switcheroo (November 11, 2003) Wonderful Win from 2008 (December 8, 2008) A Win from Season 41 (December 31, 2012) A Painful Loss from Season 42 (January 27, 2014) Only Switcheroo Winner from Season 42 (April 16, 2014) Dismissal Playing from 2014 (April 29, 2014) Another Painful Loss from Season 42 (June 27, 2014) Switcheroo for a Maserati (October 15, 2014) A Win from Season 43 (November 12, 2014) Dismissal Playing from 2015 (March 11, 2015) Category:Pricing Games Category:Active Games Category:Timed Games Category:Car Games Category:Small Prize Games Category:1970s Pricing Games Category:OK to be Wrong Category:You Don't Have to Win it All Category:The Player is in Command Category:You Can Try Again Category:The Prices Must Match to Win Category:Home Base Pricing Games Category:Multiple Choice Games Category:Million Dollar Game Category:Primetime Pricing Games Category:Think Cue Pricing Games Category:Predict the Correct Price